Universal joint.



w. SCOTT.

UNIVERSALJOINTL APPLICATION FILED AUG-25,1917.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

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11mm JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed August 25, 1917. Serial No. 188,235.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER citizen of the United States, residing at Sheridan, in the county of vSheridan and State of'Wyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Universal Joints, of which the followin is a specification, reference being had to t e accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved universal joint for transmitting rotation from the driven axle to the wheel of the vehicle and has for its primary object to provide an improved power transmitting connection between thedifierentially driven sections of the front wheel axlefan'd the wheel spindles regardless of the angular relation which-the spindles may assume with respect to the axle in the steering of the vehicle. i j V 3 It is a more'particular ob ect of the pres ent invention to provide a driving connectiondlietwein dthe front axle and the whfil s in e em 0, g co-engagmgco on e sale and spin e havingjteeth ofifixproved form, and antivfrictionmeans interposed between the ends of theaxle and spindle to prevent relative displacementE-of the jobs gears out of coinciding axial relationgfwith each other and thereby obviate the' possible binding of the cog teeth with each other. in.

the steering movements of the wheel spindle. It is another object of my invention to provide a, universal joint connection of such construction as to permit of the free and um'etarded steering movements of the wheel spindles, the several parts of the 'dri connection belng completely housed an grotected against the entrance of 't or ust between-the relatively movab e elements, and the device as a whole being exceedingly simple in its construction and capable of manufacture and application to the four-wheel drive type of motor vehicle at relatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view,

my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be heremaftermore, fully Fig.2 is a section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 isa of Flg. 1;

Fig. 4. is a detail perspective view of the wheel spindle and the cog gear thereon; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of the cog gear on the driving axle.

section taken on the line I Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 dest ignates the casing for the front wheel axle which-is of the full floating type and consists of differentially driven sections which are actuated through any approved differential gearing contained within the housing indicated at 6. The axle casing 5 is provided uponeach of its ends with an enlargement indicated at 7, having upper and lower laterally projecting ears 8 integrally formed therewith.

The end of the driving axle 9 has a cog gear generally indicated by the numeral 10,

threaded or otherwise detachably connected thereto, the enlargement 7 of the axle casmg being provided with a chamber or recess indicated at 11 to receive the inner end of this gear. The gear 10 is of peculiar construction and, as seenin Fig. 5, this gear is formed with a plurality of spaced, elongated teeth 12 of V-sha'ped form in plan and which "extend longitudinally of the axle. The side faces of each gear tooth are chamfered or beveled, as'shown at 13',v said teeth at their inner" edge being relatively thin. Thus, the opposed faces of adjacent gear teeth gradually diverge from their inner to their outer ends. The end-of the gear body between the inner ends of the ad acent teeth is alsg iobliquely inclined or beveled as shown at '15 designates the steering knuckle which isformed with a partly-spherical wall-16 on one end of the knuckle sleeve 17. An outwardly projecting, annular flange 18 is provided at diametrically opposite sides with laterally projecting cars 19 disposed in spaced relation to the knuckle wall 16. Be-

tween these ears and the wall 16, the

described, claimed, andillustra'ted in tli'ef'1'6 and the ears 8 and 19 are provided accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the front wheel axle of a motor vehicle equipped with my improved driving connection between the axle and the wheel with coinciding openings, the ears 8 being threaded to receive the threaded shank portions of thescrews' indicated at 20. It will be understood that these screws are loosely s s zhmugh' a n 19 and the vvall id so that the linuclrle may have free turning movement upon the screws,

21 designates the vvheel spindle which extends through the knuckle sleeve 17, and to the inner end of this wheel spindle the complementary cog gear 22 is connected.-

.lhis end face of the Wheel spindle is concaved as at 23, to provide a seat for a single anti-friction bearing ball 24: The gear 22 is similar inevery respect with the gear 10 between the ears 8, said plates. extending exteriorly over the Wall 16 of the knuckle 15. These plates effectually prevent the entrance of dust, grit, or other foreign material into the lmuclrle joints and afford a complete protection for the power trans mitting gears The Wheel W is provided With a huh hashing engaged upon the sleeve vl? of the lniuckle' l5, and this hub bushing projects beyond the end of the sleeve and. is recessed at diametrically opposite points to receive radially projecting lugs (in a Washer plate 29 "which is engaged upon the projecting end of the axle spindle. A nut 30' is threaded upon the spindle to retain the Washer plate in place O f course, it is understood that this mounting of the'vvheel on the axle spindle is merely illustrative and various other approved Wheel mountings may he substituted therefor if desired.

From the foregoing description, taken. in connection With the accompanying drawings, it vvill loe seen that my improved driv=-- ing connection between the axle and the heel spindle adord means whereby the full power is at all times transmitted from the axle to the Wheel and Without in any Way interfering With the proper steering movements of the front Wheels of the vehicle or lessening theextent of such movements in either direction, The tapering ll-shaped teeth of the cog gears afford a maximum of relative angular movement ost-Ween the r spective cogs, While at the same time these gear teeth are sufilciently strong and rigid to resist the hearing or breaking strains to which they may he subjected in the trans mission of power from the axle to the vvheel spindle By axially positioning the si.

lotion. hearing hall 2% opposed ends of spindle axle, the interfitting gear teeth are at all times maintained in proper relation With respect to the driving axles, regardless of the Wear which may occur'in the other bearing supports for the spindle and the axle. This is a very important feature of my invention, as it is absolutely essential that there shall be no relative axial displacement of the cogs which would result in a binding lochng engagement of the cog teeth,

My improved Wheel drive, as above disclosed, has given complete satisfaction in practical use and operates With a steady,

even transmission of the power from the driving axle to the vvheel spindle, l have alcove referred to a particular mounting and arrangement of the driving cog gears, hut

angularly movable out of coinciding axial relation with the first named shaft, inter= meshing cog gears on the opposed ends of said shafts. one of said gears being formed with a hall seat between the inner ends of the gear teeth, and an anti-friction hall engaged upon said seat and with the center of the opposed. gear, the teeth of said gears preventing the displacement of the hall in the angular movement of the gear on said second named shaft with respect to the gear on the first shaft.

2. A shaft joint including in combination with thefmain shaft and a second shaft angularly movahle out of axial alient with the main shaft, interineshing cog gears removahlypngaged upon the opposed ends of said shafts, one of the gears heing provided hetvveen the inner ends of the teeth thereon with a hall seat, and an anti-friction hall engaged on said seat and centrally contacting with the other of the gears, the gear teeth extending over and around said hall and preventing its angular displace ment in the angular movement of one of the gears vvith respect to the other.

' 3; A shaft joint including in combination vvith the main shaft and a second shaft angu lariy movalole out of axial alinement with shaft, intermeshing gears detach.- ahl threaded'on the opposed ends of said shalt, one a concea ed till lllli lllll I seat, an antifriction ball engaged on said seat, the other gear having a central plane face for contact with said ball, and the teeth of the gears projecting over the ball and preventing angular displacement thereof in the angular movement of one gear with respect to the other.

WALTER SCOTT.

Witnesses:

F. W. Bran, BURTON B. Rm. 

